There Is no Such Thing As Brotherly Love
by fox8
Summary: *COMPLETED!!!*Harry doesn't know it, but he is not Lily's 1st son. A new boy comes to Hogwarts. Who is he? Who is this stranger that Hermione has fallen in love with? Does he mean harm to Harry?
1. Epilogue

Hi! This is my second story and I hope u like it. I'll start on the next chapters soon. Promise!  
  
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Lily's Secret  
  
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Epilogue Seventeen years ago:  
  
Lily opened her eyes and smiled. She sat up in bed and saw a man packing.  
  
"What are you doing?" She got up and slipped on a shirt. The man didn't answer. Smiling, Lily reached forward and started to massage his shoulders. Hurriedly, he shrugged her hands away.  
  
"What's wrong?" She frowned. The man sighed and ran a hand through his black hair.  
  
"Nothing." He replied flatly. Lily watched, frowning as the man hastily shoved clothing into his suitcase. Without a word to Lily, he hauled the suitcase off the bed and made towards the door.  
  
" You're leaving?" Lily demanded. The man said nothing.  
  
" What about me?" Lily continued.  
  
"What about you?" The man sneered. Lily was shocked. The man said it in such a selfish tone. One she had never heard him use before. He started to unlock the apartment door.  
  
" What if I'm pregnant?" The man ignored her.  
  
"What if I'm pregnant Tom?" She repeated. Tom put down the suitcase and turned to her.  
  
" You might not be." He said calmly.  
  
"Oh? So if I am, you won't bother marrying me? You'll just let me raise your child by myself?" Tears were forming in her eyes. She knew she shouldn't have done it. She should have known better. He opened the door.  
  
" I thought you loved me Tom." She said quietly.  
  
" Yeah. Me too." Tom picked up his suitcase.  
  
" You're no better than your father Tom Riddle!" Lily shrieked, tears streaming down her face. Tom's eyes narrowed. He looked as though he was going to slap her, but thought better of it and left. Leaving Lily in the apartment alone. Her knees buckled and she knelt there, head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
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Three months later:  
  
Lily's hand trembled as she reached for the phone. She was twenty-two years old, but that was no excuse for what she had done. She was foolish, and now, she had to take her punishment. With shaking fingers, she punched Tom's number into her phone. No one picked up the receiver. She was almost relieved. She wasn't ready to tell him. But she had to tell someone.  
  
" Hello?" Lily's heart leapt at the familiar voice on the phone.  
  
" James? It's me. Lily." She stuttered. She hadn't spoken to him since Hogwarts Graduation.  
  
" How's it going?" He asked.  
  
"James. Can you meet me at Diagon Alley?" She held her breath.  
  
" Uh.sure. when?"  
  
"Now." She said firmly. With that, she hung up and grabbed her jacket.  
  
  
  
  
  
James patted Lily's arm awkwardly. She had told him all about Tom.  
  
" I don't know what to do!" She bit her lip and tried not to cry.  
  
" Lily.how many months are you, you know."  
  
" Three. why?" She blew her nose.  
  
" I know how we can cover this up. and." he grinned, " Get my way."  
  
  
  
One month later:  
  
" You may now kiss the bride."  
  
James lifted Lily's veil. She smiled as he placed his lips on hers. She never, after all those years, knew that he had loved her, or, that she had loved him. She felt better. Now, she knew she wasn't just marrying him for her cover up. She was marrying him because it was meant to be.  
  
Five months later:  
  
Tom glared with loathing into his crystal ball. He glared with loathing at James. He was holding a baby. HIS son. He wanted it back. He also wanted the mother back. Lily. They belonged to him. Not James. With pure hatred, he flung the crystal ball onto the ground, smashing it to pieces.  
  
Ten months later:  
  
Lily beamed at her second son. She had named him Harry. Carefully, she stroked the new born baby's head. James stood by the hospital bed, holding their first son, no- HER first son, Toby.  
  
" Toby Riddle." He thought to himself grimly. It was amazing no one noticed the difference. Toby looked nothing like him, of course. But nothing like his mother either. Well, At least Lily's secret was still safe.  
  
A year later:  
  
" Lily! Quick, take the children up stairs!" James lowered his voice to a whisper.  
  
" No. they haven't. have they?" She gasped.  
  
" Take them up stairs. NOW!" He bellowed as the door rattled in its frame. Lily picked up Toby and Harry and ran up stairs. Flinching as she heard the heavy thud of furniture being thrown across the room below. She flung open the bedroom door, frantic.  
  
" There is no where to hide from me." Lily spun towards the doorway. A figure in robes of black stood there, head bowed so she could not see its face. But she knew who it was.  
  
" Tom! This is madness!" She breathed.  
  
" Is it?" He lifted his head, smirking. Lily's heart beat at twice its normal rate as more figures in black appeared in the room. She was out numbered.  
  
" Tom, please."  
  
" My name is not Tom." He snapped, " I am Voldermort." With that, he lifted his wand, aiming it at Harry. The baby started to cry.  
  
"NO!" Lily turned around, shielding the infants with her body. She hugged them tight, knowing it would be their last. She thought of the last thing she said to James, " No. They haven't.have they?" Why didn't she say, " Be careful," or " I love you James" ? With a shock, she realised that she never had said " I love you" to James. She did love him, but she had never told him. It was too late now.  
  
" Move, you foolish woman!" Voldermort bellowed. His followers, the death eaters, took out their wands also.  
  
" Take my son." Voldermort commanded, " and take the wrench away from young Potter." They did so, leaving Harry on the floor. An easy target for their leader. Lily fought against the two men who were holding her back. It was no use. They were too strong. Voldermort smirked as he pointed his wand at Harry.  
  
" NO!!!" Lily sobbed. With an amazing amount of strength, she broke away and threw herself onto the floor, shielding Harry. Just as she heard the words, " Avra Kadavra."  
  
  
  
There. Like it? Plz send me some reviews and I will try my best to actually start on the story! (Whether u send me reviews or not!)  
  
thanx, fox 


	2. Chapter one

Chapter one  
  
The new kid  
  
Harry zigzagged through the thick crowd of people at platform nine and three quarters. It was as thick as every other year. He was looking for Ron, which should have been easy because of his vivid red hair.  
  
" HARRY!" Harry turned in time to see two identical freckled faces, wearing two identical evil grins as he was lifted three feet into the air and marched towards the train.  
  
" Where have you been all summer?" Fred asked.  
  
" Hmmm." Harry pretended to think really hard," that would be your house."  
  
" No you weren't!" George protested.  
  
" Yes I was. Until last week when I had to go back to Privet Drive."  
  
" Really? It seemed like such a long time!" Harry ginned despite the fact George was giving him a Nudgee and messing his hair up even more. He allowed the twins to haul him into the train's last carriage, their usual place on the train.  
  
" Hi Harry!" Hermione looked up from her book and smiled as the twins dumped him on the floor. Ron was there also, desperately trying to catch Pig and shove him back into his cage. Hedwig hooted irritably, waiting for Harry to pick up her cage which had fallen onto the floor and rolled sideways under the seat. Harry stood up and dusted himself off.  
  
" Bloody bird." Ron muttered, enclosing the owl in his fist and shoving it roughly into its cage.  
  
" I dunno. I think it's cute." Ginny reasoned.  
  
" That's what you said about that ruddy name you chose." Ron replied. Harry picked up Hedwig's cage and sat down between Ron and Hermione. They talked about their holidays, teachers, Quiditch . the conversation ending abruptly when Hermione refused to let Ron copy her Charms assignment.  
  
" Ronald Weasley! You are in sixth year and you have to learn to do your own homework." She lectured icily. Ron mimicked her nastily and crossed his arms. She shook her head and returned to her book. The carriage door slid open. Harry looked up to see a boy about his age in the doorway. He had black hair and ice grey eyes that swept from one person to another.  
  
" You alright?" Harry asked. The boy narrowed his eyes and hurried away without a word.  
  
" Weirdo." Dean muttered.  
  
" Reckon he's new?" Hermione asked, suddenly interested.  
  
" Who cares." Ron was still angry with Hermione for her refusal to let him copy her work. Harry wondered why the boy had left in such a hurry. He seemed to have hated him at sight.  
  
Ron had forgiven Hermione and was now complaining about the sorting.  
  
" It's too bloody long." He moaned, drumming his fingers on the table. Hermione poked him in the ribs to shut him up. After the first years had been sorted and Ron's continuos complaints, Professor McGonagoll got stood up and announced that a new student in sixth year was to be sorted.  
  
"Toby Avolorm." She called. The grey eyed boy walked in and sat on the stool as McGonagoll placed the sorting hat on his head. It had barely touched his head when the hat called, " SLYTHERIN!" Toby took off the hat, emotionless and joined the Slytherin table.  
  
" Goody!" Ron said, rather loudly. He was among the first to dig into the delicious food magically conjured in front of him. Harry, how ever, wasn't enjoying his meal like Ron. In fact, he hadn't even touched it. He stared towards the Slytherin table and Toby stared back. His scar was burning, sending waves of pain through out his brain.  
  
" Whassamatter?" Ron asked, mouth full of roast chicken.  
  
" Nothing." Harry said, pulling his eyes off Avolorm. He picked up his fork and played around with his peas. Why did his scar hurt? It was only a boy. No way he was Voldermort in disguise.. Was there?  
  
  
  
Done. Like it? I will be starting chapter two as soon as I can. Plz send me as a review. Tell me what you honestly think, so I can improve my writing! Also, it may take a while 'cauz I don't really have a plot..  
  
Chau! Tha fox 


	3. Chapter two

Chapter two  
  
Malfoy's New Best Friend  
  
  
  
  
  
" Ron, up!" Harry shook Ron's shoulders vigorously.  
  
" What unearthly time of the night are you trying to dig me out of bed at?" He groaned, rolling over.  
  
" It's eight in the morning you sod. Come on! Charms start soon!" Harry pushed Ron so hard he fell off the bed.  
  
" Alright, I'm up." He stretched and drew his curtain so he could change. Satisfied, Harry ran down stairs to meet a rather impatient Hermione.  
  
" Is he up yet?" She asked, brushing back a strand of bushy hair from her face.  
  
" Yeah, not too happy 'bout it though."  
  
" About time." She rolled her eyes as Ron slid sluggishly out from the boys' dormitories. They made their way to charms in an unsettling silence. They sat through the lesson in an unsettling silence. Harry guessed it was because of Ron's grogginess and Hermione's bad mood. He noticed that Hermione kept checking her watch, as though she couldn't wait for the lesson to end.  
  
" You're kidding!" Ron wrinkled his nose in disgust.  
  
" No I'm not." Hermione replied flatly.  
  
" You want to sit right at the front!?!" Ron gaped.  
  
" Yes. So?" She said hastily.  
  
" HERMIONE!!! THIS IS POTIONS!" He raged. Harry stood quietly aside, knowing that Hermione in a bad mood was something to fear.  
  
" I repeat, SO WHAT?"  
  
" It's suicide!" Ron hissed, " He'll eat you!"  
  
" Yes he will." The three of them turned to see Malfoy leaning casually in the doorframe of the dungeon. Crabbe and Goyle snickering behind him.  
  
" He hates you Gryffindor scum and especially hates mudbloods." He said silkily.  
  
" Well, look, if it isn't the three stooges." Ron sneered. Malfoy smiled wryly.  
  
" Oh no, not three. Four." He said as Avolorm pushed his way past Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
"Well. you're still stooges!" Ron said defensively. Malfoy ignored this and returned to his usual seat. Hermione was sitting only a couple of seats away.  
  
" What's up with her?" Ron muttered. Harry shrugged but couldn't help wondering why Hermione seemed to be looking forward to double potions with the Slytherins. More surprisingly however, She made an error in her Youth Reviving potion.  
  
" Granger, why is your potion a pink colour?" Snape asked, looking positively delighted. Hermione blushed the same colour as her potion.  
  
" Because you put too many wolf bladders in it!" Answering the question for her.  
  
" Detention for you and ten points from Gryffindor." He smiled the same wryly smile that Malfoy wore so often. Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but thought against it and blushed with shame.  
  
" I can't believe him!!!" Ron cursed, turning a bright crimson.  
  
" I did deserve it." Hermione sighed.  
  
" No you didn't!!! What about Crabbe and Goyle? They're potions weren't even in the liquid state!" He raged, throwing out his arm and upsetting a set of armour's helmet. He hastily picked it up and continued.  
  
" He gives you a detention and takes away house points from you and his own students have IQ's lower than trolls!  
  
" Shut up Ron. Leave me alone." With that Hermione disappeared into the girls' bathroom.  
  
" What's her problem? What did I do?" Ron gaped.  
  
" Dunno. best take her advice and leave her alone." Harry grabbed Ron's arm and led him out into the grounds.  
  
Ok, ok. maybe it's boring. but hey, I have a right 2 put this up, no matter how crappy it is. Right?  
  
Plz send some reviews!!! 


	4. Chapter three

Chapter three  
  
Detention Date  
  
  
  
" Hermione Granger." Professor McGonagoll called in the common room.  
  
" Yes?" Hermione put her book down reluctantly.  
  
" You will have your detention tonight in the Trophy Room. Meet Filch at nine O'clock." Hermione nodded grimly. She still couldn't believe she was getting a detention.  
  
" Bloody slime ball." Ron muttered as the Professor left.  
  
" Who?" Harry asked, trying to put his belt around his ' care for magical creatures' book.  
  
" Snape." Ron cursed as his book bit his finger.  
  
" Seriously. I don't know why you are getting so worked up about it. It's MY detention. Not yours." Hermione snapped, frightening her book so it stood still, allowing her to tie it up. She stood up and went up to her dorm. Ron stared after her.  
  
" OI! Could you shout again? I need to scare my book." He yelled. She turned to give him a ' don't push your luck' look and stomped off.  
  
" I was serious." He said flatly as Harry laughed.  
  
" Aw. stuff this." Ron gave up on tying up his book and let it roam about the common room, attacking innocent bystanders. Namely, first years.  
  
Hermione wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, waiting for Filch, the caretaker.  
  
" You got detention too, did you?" She turned to see Avolorm. She nodded dumbly. He smiled.  
  
" Alright you two." Filch appeared out of no where, Mrs. Norris, his cat following him. He roughly shoved trophy polish and rags into their hands.  
  
" Polish these trophies and no magic." He said gruffly.  
  
" No Magic? All of them?" Hermione squeaked. Filch grinned and left them there, with over a hundred trophies to polish.  
  
" Damn Snape." She muttered, polishing the first trophy. Toby kneeled next to her and started on the next.  
  
" He's not that bad." Toby said, grinning slightly at the girl's cursing, " It's Filch you should be hating." Hermione ignored this and continued scrubbing.  
  
" I hate them both." She said bitterly. They scrubbed in silence for a while, until Toby attempted to make friendly conversation. Hermione found out about his childhood without parents. His foster home. His old school.  
  
" Were you expelled?" She asked.  
  
" Yeah. I broke the rules too often." Toby started on his next trophy. Hermione thought about this for a while. She wondered why Harry and Ron seemed to hate him. He seemed so nice. After they had finished and Filch checked their job three times, Toby offered to walk Hermione back to her common room.  
  
" Hello Hermione." Ron was at the portrait hole, waiting. Toby frowned. He had ruined his plan.  
  
" Oh. Hi Ron." Hermione said, flustered.  
  
" Good bye Avolorm." Ron said icily to Toby. Hermione blushed. Honestly! Ron was so embarrassing! Without a word to either of them, she brushed past Ron and climbed into the portrait hole. She waited by the fire for him. Boy was he gonna get it! Ron came out, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
" What were you doing?" She demanded.  
  
" Waiting."  
  
" There is no need to wait for me! Honestly! You are so embarrassing!"  
  
" Well at least I don't socialise with Slytherin garbage!" He snapped.  
  
" So what if I talk to a Slytherin?" She raged.  
  
" You can't trust them!"  
  
" You can't seem to trust me either! Waiting up for me because you heard I wasn't the only one on detention." She turned and walked briskly to her room. Ron sighed and also went to his room.  
  
" Harry, are you asleep?" Ron opened Harry's curtains.  
  
" I was." Harry propped himself up on his elbows.  
  
" Sorry.. Listen, what do you think of that Avolorm character?" He whispered.  
  
" You wake me up to gossip?" Harry moaned.  
  
" No, I'm not gossiping." Harry thought for a while.  
  
" You know.last week, at the feast, my scar hurt when he came in."  
  
" I knew it!" Ron grinned with triumph.  
  
" What?"  
  
" He's you-Know-Who in disguise." Ron looked as though he had solved a mystery or figured out an answer to a test.  
  
" Whatever Ron," Harry rolled over.  
  
" I'm serious!"  
  
" Come on! He's just a boy!" Harry refused to talk about it any more, even though he was beginning to doubt his own opinion on Avolorm.  
  
  
  
Sorry this 1 is so short! I'll try and make it up 2 u in tha next chapta.  
  
Luv, Tha fox 


	5. Chapter four

Chapter four  
  
Mission: Unaccomplished  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
" Mudblood burns" The wall shifted, revealing the Slytherin Common room. He walked briskly down the stairs.  
  
" Damn that Weasely! He ruined my plans!" He thought bitterly. He had planned it out so well.the plan to hide behind a suit of armour and overhear Hermione saying the password. He could have slipped into the Gryffindor common room and killed him.he had failed.  
  
" Toby, how was detention?" Malfoy asked. Not looking away from the fire.  
  
" Fine." Toby sat down on a squishy chair.  
  
" I still can't believe you said that in front of McGonagoll. It was like you had asked for a detention." Malfoy raised a blonde eyebrow.  
  
" I guess I should check that the coast is clear next time before I call her an old bat." Malfoy laughed at this. Toby smiled grimly. He WAS asking for a detention. Part of the plan. Now foiled.  
  
" I guess I'll be going to bed now, Draco." He faked a yawn and went down stairs to his dorm, seething with hate. Hatred for Ron. Loathing for his half brother. 


	6. Chapter five

Chapter Five  
  
Mistaken  
  
  
  
The three of them made their way through the school grounds towards Hagrid's Hut. They were rather early for their CFMC (care for magical creatures) lesson, but they wanted to talk with Hagrid. Harry rapped him knuckles on the door and waited, ignoring Hermione and Ron's squabbles.  
  
" Who is it?" A voice asked gruffly from inside.  
  
" It's us!" Ron bellowed so loudly that Harry covered his ears. Hagrid opened the door and smiled.  
  
" What are yeh doin' here?"  
  
" To see you of course." Hermione said sweetly.  
  
" We need to talk." Harry put in urgently. Hagrid looked puzzled but ushered them inside. Hermione knelt down and rubbed Fang behind the ears.  
  
" What's the matter?" Hagrid took off his apron and sat down at the huge table.  
  
" Want a fudge trifle? Made 'em meself." Hagrid offered Harry a plate full of little brown lumps. Harry refused, remembering the stomach pains from the last time he had eaten Hagrid's homemade sweets. But Ron gladly scoffed them down. Stopping only when he found what looked disgustingly like a feather inside one of them.  
  
" Have you seen that new kid, Toby Armolo?" Ron asked, pushing the plate away.  
  
" Avolorm." Hermione corrected.  
  
" What ever." Ron grunted.  
  
" Yeh.fer some reason he looks familiar." Hagrid rubbed his beard in thought, " them eyes." Hagrid stopped abruptly as he realised just WHO he reminded him of.  
  
"Who does he remind you of?" Harry asked with interest. Hagrid stood up and grabbed the boys by the back of their robes. Hermione followed him outside. The giant of a man flung the boys onto the grass and closed the door behind him.  
  
" Hagrid!?! What are you doing!" Hermione pounded on the door with frustration.  
  
" Go to yeh next class! Yeh don' wanna be late." Hagrid replied from inside the hut.  
  
" Our next class is here!" Ron bellowed, shoving Hermione aside and kicking the door.  
  
" Well. come back later." Hagrid said stiffly.  
  
After lots of shouting and pounding, they left. Their class wasn't for another twenty minutes. They would be back.  
  
  
  
Inside the hut, Hagrid sat down at the table, flicking through the pages of a book. An old year book. The year book from his last year at Hogwarts. At last, he stopped flipping the pages and inspected a photo. It was of a boy. A boy with black hair and grey eyes. Very much like young Toby Avolorm. His name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. Hagrid leant back on his chair and rubbed his eyes. Impossible. Tom hadn't had a son. had he? He looked up at the clock on the wall and stood up. He had classes to teach.  
  
  
  
  
  
" Alright. We're workin' with baby dragons today." Hagrid shouted over the noise of his class.  
  
" It won' be too difficult. Just do as I say an' all will be fine." He opened a crate next to him and pulled from out of it, a young Norwegian Ridgeback. The Gryffindors and Slytherins crowded around to see it.  
  
" Alright, there's not enough ter go aroun', get in groups of three an' be very careful! Don' pull their tails, they don' like that." Harry, Hermione and Ron pulled on their Dragon hide gloves and took the dragon that Hagrid was holding.  
  
" Um. what are we meant to do?" Hermione shrieked as the dragon tugged her hair.  
  
" Eh? Oh! Try an' feed 'em." Hagrid handed out bottles of milk and sat down to watch.  
  
" You'd think these things would be on raw meat by now." Ron grunted as he tried to untangle Hermione's hair from the dragon's teeth. ("ow! Ow! RON!")  
  
Avolorm smiled to himself. This was his chance. Without warning, he pulled his dragons tail. It screeched and let out a huge ball of fire straight at Harry. Avolorm smirked, his aim wasn't too bad. Not bad at all. Harry screamed in pain as fire crawled up his arm. He fell forward in panic, trying to put it out. As quick as a flash, Hermione grabbed her wand.  
  
" Aquaria!" Water gushed out of the tip of her wand, extinguishing the fire. Ron, on the other hand, charged straight at Avolorm. He tackled the dark haired boy to the ground, they punched and kicked until Hagrid separated them. He held up a ranting, raving Ron in one hand and a sorely bashed Toby in the other.  
  
" What's gotten in ter yer?" He boomed.  
  
" He did that on purpose." Ron rubbed his head where Toby had punched him.  
  
" Don't be stupid Ron!" Hermione snapped, hauling Harry up to his feet. " It was an accident and you know it!"  
  
" I'm so sorry Harry. I didn't mean to, are you okay?" Avolorm said, Ron snorted and struggled to be put down. Hagrid put him down but held firmly onto his arm.  
  
" Fine." Harry muttered without looking into Toby's eyes.  
  
" Hermione, take 'im ter the Hospital Wing." Hagrid said, scooping up Avolorm's dragon.  
  
" I'm fine." Harry said quickly, " I'll go myself." Without a word to any one, he made his way towards the castle. How could Hermione have stood up for Avolorm? Didn't she see that it was obvious he was pointing the dragon at him? Couldn't she see Avolorm's apology was fake? Couldn't she see Avolorm hated him?  
  
  
  
Ok ppls how did u like it? I'll be writin mor chaptas soon. Plz review!  
  
Cya  
  
Tha fox 


	7. Chapter six

Chapter six  
  
A letter from Daddy  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Avolorm descended the stairs into the Slytherin Common room. He was greeted by a rather scrawny crow. He gulped. It had a scroll of parchment attached to its leg. With trembling fingers, he untied it and sent the crow away in a 'shoo' motion. The letter read:  
  
Toby, I know you are trying hard, but your last attempt to do my bidding was hopeless. I said KILL him. Not lightly tickle him with fire. Remember. He is the reason your mother was killed. He was the reason I, your father, am sent into hiding. He is the one that deserves death. YOU deserve the fame and glory. KILL HIM and you will never regret it.  
  
Avolorm folded up the piece of parchment and stared at the little bag that had come with the letter. He opened it to find a handful of purple powder. His stomach rapidly tied into a knot. His father had sent him poison. He carefully tipped it into a leather bag and tied it up. He needed sleep. He needed a fresh, clear mind to think up a new plan. He couldn't let his father down.  
  
  
  
Sorry this 1 is so short! The next few will be longa. Promise!  
  
Sayoonara! (4 now) 


	8. Chapter seven

Chapter seven  
  
Purple Powder  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The door clicked closed behind him. It was Harry's second night in the hospital wing. If he was going to put the plan into action, he had to do it tonight. His wound would heal soon. Avolorm walked briskly towards Harry's hospital bed. With trembling fingers, he poured the purple powder into the glass of water on the bedside table. The water turned a bright mauve. Harry stirred and rolled over. Smirking, Avolorm turned and walked out as quickly as he had walked in. They would find Potter dead in the morning and he would be no more than an innocent bystander. The door clicked closed behind him.  
  
  
  
The sound of shattering glass ripped through the silence of the night. The scrapping of furniture being moved across the floor soon followed. A dim light flickered on. Dobby the House Elf was stranding on the chair, holding up a lit lantern. He leapt onto Harry's bed, shinning the lantern into his face.  
  
" Harry Potter? Harry Potter Sir? Is Sir awake?" Dobby asked anxiously.  
  
" Huh? Dobby? What are you doing here?" Harry rubbed his eyes and slipped on his glasses.  
  
" Dobby was cleaning up, Sir. He heard the door open, Sir." Harry blinked stupidly.  
  
" A boy, Sir. A boy came in. He was pouring somthings into Harry Potter's water Sir." The house elf's bottom lip trembled. Harry looked to his left and saw his mauve coloured water. He vaguely remembered Snape saying something about a poison powder that colour.  
  
" What did this boy look like?" Harry sat up right, almost throwing Dobby off balance.  
  
" Dobby don't know Sir.It was too dark." With a howl, Dobby leapt off the bed and bashed his head again and again on the wall.  
  
" Bad Dobby! Bad, Bad Dobby!" Harry flinched and desperately tried to stop him. After a while, Dobby sniffed and continued.  
  
" Dobby waited Sir. He heard the door close Sir. He dropped the flask he was meant to clean." With a sniff, Dobby seized Harry's lamp and bashed himself over the head about another six or seven times. (" Bad Dobby! He shouldn't have dropped it! Bad! Bad, Bad Dobby!")  
  
Harry stopped him and told him to continue.  
  
" He grabbed the lantern, and he saw the water. The water. Harry Potter mustn't drink the water!" Dobby picked up the glass and gulped.  
  
" Dobby must drink it Sir. He was bad. Bad Dobby!" His hand trembled as he tried to bring it to his lips. With a yell, Harry kicked off the covers and pried the house elf's fingers off the glass.  
  
" No! You can't Dobby. You weren't bad. You were good. You stopped me from drinking the water. Remember? If you weren't here, I would have drunk it." Harry gulped as he realised what he said was true. It was far too dark to tell that the water was purple. He owed Dobby big. The house elf wrung its hands helplessly.  
  
" Dobby was good?" His large tennis ball like eyes searched Harry's face anxiously.  
  
" Yes," Harry sighed, " you saved my life." Harry couldn't help but smile as he saw the house elf's face light up. He was such a pitiful creature. He wondered how there were any more left. It was amazing they hadn't all killed themselves for being 'bad'. Harry sat down and studied the glass carefully. Should he tell Dumbledore? He sighed and placed it on the table. He would tell him first thing in the morning. After he got some sleep and told Ron and Hermione.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ok.. What do u think? I want some reviews ppls! At one stage, I was gonna make Dobby drink it, but I thought, why? Dobby's cool!  
  
P.S. where the hell is the next book for C***** sake?!?!  
  
Luv u all!  
  
fox 


	9. Chapter eight

Chapter eight  
  
Dumbledore  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hermione held the glass up to the light pouring out of the Hospital Wing's window.  
  
" This is the most deadly poison known in the wizarding world." She shook her head and placed the glass on the table.  
  
" Harry, you HAVE to tell Dumbledore." Ron urged.  
  
" He's right, you know. Who ever did it wanted to get you good." Hermione said grimly. Harry rubbed his scar thoughtfully.  
  
" I remember my scar hurting last night.Not too bad, but enough for me to notice." Harry murmured.  
  
" Was that what woke you up?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head, wondering how he knew without really waking up.  
  
" That was Dobby. He tried to kill himself last night too. Thought he was bad for not seeing who it was." Harry sighed and got up.  
  
" Wait outside. I'm gonna change. We'll go pay Dumbledore a visit."  
  
  
  
" Don't we need to see Professor McGonagall first? How are we going to get in? I mean, we don't know the password." Ron struggled to keep up with Harry.  
  
"I'm not stupid. That's where I'm going!" He snapped. Ron shrugged.  
  
" Just reminding you." He muttered. The three of them stopped outside Professor McGonagoll's office. Harry knocked on the door. Hermione held the glass, their evidence carefully, as not to spill a single drop.  
  
" Yes?" The professor opened the door and gasped at the poisoned water Hermione was holding.  
  
" Explain yourselves!" She ordered, thinking they had made the poison themselves.  
  
" Professor. Someone tried to poison Harry last night." Ron said firmly.  
  
  
  
" Fuzzing Wizzbees!" The gargoyles eyes lit and the stone structure stood up, lumbering out of the way. With a nod of her head, the professor motioned for the students to follow her up the winding staircase. Harry twitched nervously. He wasn't afraid of Dumbledore. Just of what he'd find out.  
  
The Professor knocked on the door and waited.  
  
" Come in." The door opened by itself. Revealing the circular office and the headmaster. Dumbledore stood up and motioned for Hermione to give him the glass. His blue eyes studied it carefully. With a sigh, he placed it down on the table and sat down behind the desk.  
  
" You may go now, Minivera." He closed his eyes. Looking rather disappointed, she left. Harry and Ron exchanged looks. They hardly saw Dumbledore like this. He was usually so sure and confident. This Dumbledore was worried and tired.  
  
" Explain." Dumbledore leant forward, staring at Harry. Harry told him every thing, every thing except his scar hurting. There was no need to. It was nothing. Dumbledore analysed this information carefully.  
  
" Thank you. You may go now.. Except for Harry." Hermione shot Harry a questioning look and he returned her one also. Dumbledore waited patiently as they left.  
  
"Harry..Do you have any one you suspect?" Harry tried to look confused.  
  
" No Professor. Not at all." Dumbledore searched his face as he said this, as though trying to detect any signs that might tattle tale Harry's lying. After a while, he leant back and said something that made Harry's hair stand on end.  
  
" Are you sure? Did your scar hurt at all?"  
  
" N-NO. what makes you say that?" Harry spluttered. Dumbledore smiled.  
  
" You may go now Harry." Harry stood up and made for the door.  
  
" And don't worry. After all, you are the boy who lived." Harry turned to see Dumbledore give him a knowing wink before he turned his back to him.  
  
  
  
Shut up. No need to remind me. I know it's boring. I tried to make it interesting, but I'm kinda stumbling on the plot here. Ideas plz!!!  
  
Adios.  
  
Tha fox 


	10. Chapter nine

Chapter nine  
  
MYOB  
  
  
  
Harry ate his breakfast in silence. He was still pondering over Dumbledore's words earlier that day. How did he know? Would he know who it was?  
  
" Oh! Owl post." Hermione wiped her mouth with her napkin and watched anxiously for any owls headed her way. Ron raised a red eyebrow.  
  
"Expecting something?" He asked. Hermione blushed.  
  
" No. just hoping." She muttered. Blushing even more, she returned to her food as though she had said too much.  
  
" Well, looks like what you're hoping for came." Ron muttered bitterly as a huge barn owl perched itself onto her chair. She ripped the parchment off its leg and stuffed it into her pocket. The owl helped itself to her bread roll and took off. Hermione continued to eat as though nothing had happened. Harry and Ron were on either side of her, looking on with curiosity.  
  
"What?" She huffed.  
  
" Aren't you going to read it?" Ron asked, clearly indicating he wanted to know exactly what it said. Word for word. Hermione blushed with fury.  
  
" Ronald Weasley! It is none of your business! My owl post has nothing to do with you! Nothing at all!" She pushed her chair back and stormed off. Ron stared after her, mouth hanging open. He snorted and cursed.  
  
" What's up with your girlfriend?" George slid into Hermione's seat and stuffed a piece of toast into his mouth.  
  
" She's not my girl friend. Just a friend. Nothing more, nothing less." Ron said flatly, turning pink around the ears. George grinned and started chewing on an apple.  
  
"Really?" He asked. Ron was rapidly turning the same colour as the apple. Harry noted with the interest that Ron didn't say anything more to defend himself.  
  
  
  
Hermione locked herself into a toilet cubicle and fumbled around inside her pocket. She pulled a small piece of parchment out and opened it, reading it with gusto. After reading it over and over again, she pocketed it and skipped all the way to Transfiguration.  
  
  
  
"My, you're in a good mood today." Ron muttered under his breath as he tried to turn a tadpole into a toadstool. Hermione ignored him and continued humming. Ron glared with resentment at her as she created her seventh toadstool. He rolled up his sleeves and tried again.  
  
"So.what was the letter about?" Ron asked casually. Hermione frowned.  
  
" Do I have to tell you again?" She waved her wand and made another brightly coloured toadstool.  
  
" You never told me in the first place." He replied. She shot him a loathing look and snubbed him.  
  
" You know what I mean. MOYB." She said, grinning.  
  
"MYOB?" Ron asked, putting his wand away.  
  
" Yes, Mind Your Own Business." She said simply.  
  
" Now, if you don't mind, I have to go to Muggle Studies." Smiling, she tucked her books under her arm and left Ron there, cursing.  
  
  
  
What is Hermione's big secret? W-ell..  
  
How 'bout some reviews? (don' worry. You'll get the next chapters soon enough. Reviews or no.)  
  
Cya ppls. 


	11. Chapter ten

Chapter ten  
  
Suspicion  
  
If Harry hated Malfoy before, it was nothing compared to how he felt about him now. Every time he saw him, he was hanging around with Avolorm. They were worse together than alone. Avolorm never actually expressed his hate towards Harry, but he knew it was there. It was like a huge flame that grew bigger and bigger as the days dragged on. Harry knew that his own flame of hatred was just as big as Avolorm's. Malfoy, however, never left Harry alone. He jeered and mocked. He teased and joked. It was like a living hell. He wondered why he didn't just be like Ron and seize Malfoy around the throat.  
  
Ron hated Avolorm too. He saw how Avolorm changed so rapidly when Hermione was near. He saw the way he smiled at her. The way she smiled back. He saw how close together they sat in potions or CFMC. He knew something was going on and he didn't like it. Hermione kept disappearing to places 'alone'. And when she came back, she was blushing with glee.  
  
  
  
" What?" Harry asked, dumbfounded.  
  
" I want to borrow your invisibility cloak." Ron repeated in a whisper.  
  
" Why are you whispering? No one's here." Harry hissed.  
  
" I dunno."  
  
" You're still doing it!"  
  
" Okay. what ever. Can I borrow your cloak?" Harry considered this for a while. What was going on? Why were both his friends being so secretive lately?  
  
" Dunno. Let's discuss this tomorrow. I'm going to bed." Harry turned of his lantern and lay down.  
  
" But I need it now!" Ron squeaked. Harry ignored him and tried to go to sleep. Ron sighed.  
  
" 'Night Harry."  
  
Ron waited until he heard Harry's snores and tiptoed towards Harry's suitcase. He knew he would hate himself for doing this, but it had to be done. Quietly, he unlatched the case and pulled a long, silvery cloth from out of it. He gulped. He hated himself already. Ron threw the cloak over himself and made his way down the staircase.  
  
  
  
Hermione walked briskly towards the school grounds. She jumped at every sound. Being caught would mean disaster. It was against the rules to be roaming the schools at night.  
  
Ron couldn't help the feeling that Hermione sensed him following her. She kept looking over her shoulder and hiding behind suits of armour.  
  
" She doesn't know I'm here," he told himself. " Stop worrying." After a while, she stopped at the lake. Feeling rather disappointed, Ron noted that no one was there. He sat and waited. Who ever Hermione was meeting would soon be there.  
  
" Toby!" Hermione's squeal woke Ron from his light slumber. He wondered how long he had been waiting. Ron inched closer to hear what exactly Toby and Hermione were discussing.  
  
" Was it difficult to get out?" Hermione asked anxiously. Ron fumed as he saw her place her hand on Avolorm's arm.  
  
" Yeah . Malfoy insisted upon sitting up with me. Sorry, I tried to shake him off."  
  
" Toby . I think Ron's suspicious. He keeps ." Hermione paused, trying to summon the correct words.  
  
" He keeps asking questions and . well . Hovering around, not leaving me alone." Hermione finished flatly. Ron had to bite his fist to stop himself from charging at them and giving Avolorm a good bash.  
  
" Don't worry, who cares about him anyway?" Avolorm laughed but Ron was far from it, muttering curses and longing for his wand. Hermione smiled weakly and they continued talking. Ron wondered why they went to all that trouble to just talk.  
  
" You know, Mione ." Ron growled fiercely as he heard Avolorm use the nickname only he and Harry used.  
  
" I think you ought to know something ." He drew a deep breath and continued. " Harry is betraying you."  
  
" What?" Hermione asked astounded.  
  
" It's true. You should hear all the nasty things he says behind your back. Terrible things Mione, terrible things ."  
  
" He would never. Never! He's my best friend!" Her bottom lip trembled.  
  
" Really?" Avolorm raised an eyebrow.  
  
" Yes." Hermione said fiercely.  
  
" He's using you Mione .I don't really want to tell you this, but it's for your own good." Hermione remained silent.  
  
" Do you really know what he's like inside? .. He will hurt you Hermione. Take my word for it."  
  
" You're lying!" With a sob, she brushed past him and ran towards the castle. Avolorm smirked. Ranting with rage, Ron fought the urge to punch him in the face and stomped back to the castle. He had to tell her.  
  
Wait! She wouldn't be happy to know that he had followed her.  
  
He had to tell Harry.  
  
Wait! Harry wouldn't be happy to know that Ron 'borrowed' his cloak after Harry refused to let him borrow it.  
  
His heart sinking, Ron realised that he had betrayed both his best friends.  
  
  
  
Is it 2 long? .. Oh well. 2 late now.  
  
fox 


	12. Chapter eleven

Chapter eleven  
  
Mixed  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Hermione flung herself onto her bed. She wanted to crawl up into a ball and hide until the trouble was over. She couldn't believe that Harry would do such a thing, but . Toby had seemed so convincing . He was so sincere. He wouldn't lie to her, would he? Unable to sleep, Hermione sat up and read by candlelight. It wasn't going to help her much but she saw no point in wasting her time. Reading time was hard to come by at that time of the year. She wondered why she felt so dizzy when Toby was near. She loved him . but some how the word 'love' seemed so strong when she was thinking about him. Too strong. It was so unbearable when she couldn't tell what she was really feeling. She wanted to know what the REAL Hermione was thinking. Not the practical, schoolgirl one.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Ron sighed as he took off the invisibility cloak. He ran a hand through his red hair and flopped down onto his bed.  
  
" I can't believe it." He muttered to himself.  
  
"Neither can I." Ron spun around to see Harry sitting on his bed, cross- legged. Ron smiled weakly.  
  
" I can't believe my best friend would STEAL my cloak." Harry said stiffly.  
  
" Not steal, BORROW." Ron corrected. Harry said nothing but reached into his pocket.  
  
"I guess I'm no better." He sighed and flung several envelopes onto the bed. Ron stood up and observed them in silence.  
  
"You didn't, did you?" Ron hissed. Harry nodded grimly. He knew it was wrong, but he had to do something, he had to find out what was going on with his best friend.  
  
" You went into the girl's dormitories!?!" Ron stared with awe. As though he had just seen Harry in a new light.  
  
" See anything, um . interesting?" Ron grinned. Harry rolled his eyes. The redhead ignored this and ripped open the first letter. It read:  
  
Hermione, I know I don't talk to you much, but I really want to. How about meeting me after Muggle studies today?  
  
Toby Avolorm  
  
Ron scrunched it up in his rage. (" When I get my hands on him .") Harry reached for another and read it aloud.  
  
" Dear Hermione,-"  
  
" Dear?" Ron muttered.  
  
" Shhh! - I want to meet you again, alone. Your friends don't seem to like me-"  
  
" Bloody oath we don't!" Ron cut in.  
  
" - they won't let me get anywhere near you. They won't let me talk. Can I meet you at the store shed after lunch? Toby."  
  
They read and read, Ron getting madder and madder. Harry reached for the last one.  
  
" Dear Mione -"  
  
"MIONE?" Ron raged.  
  
" Shutup! - I have to tell you something really important. I don't know if I should tell you, but I think you ought to know. Please meet me at the lake at midnight. Love, Toby."  
  
" LOVE!?!?" Ron snorted. ' That's what it says." Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He was getting very tired. But the disgusting thought of his best friend going with that Avolorm was going to keep him up all night.  
  
" That must have been the latest letter." Ron said, snatching it off Harry and examining it for himself. Harry gave him a look that meant 'explain.'  
  
" You see . I uh ." Ron blushed. " I followed her and she meet him at the lake."  
  
" Did they do anything?" Harry asked in disgust, afraid of what he'd find out.  
  
" HELL NO! I would have bashed him black and blue if he dared!" Ron pouted.  
  
" But, he did say something about you talking behind her back, using her and rubbish like that." Ron continued bitterly. He hated the way Avolorm had said it too. It seemed so convincing.  
  
" I would never. Hermione knows it." Harry said quietly. Ron nodded and sighed.  
  
" She started crying and she said it wasn't true. She got all worked up and upset. I can see why. She seems ." He paused, thinking of the right way to describe it.  
  
" Tied up between us and Avolorm." Harry finished. Ron lay back and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't believe it. How could the wittiest girl in the grade get Toby Avolorm all tied up in her heartstrings? He was so obviously fake! With a bitter sigh of disappointment, the redhead rolled over on his side and tried to sleep. He couldn't understand the feelings that ran through his head at the same time. They formed a whole river of emotion flowing inside him. Each water drop was a different emotion. All the emotions were blended together, making his feeling indecipherable.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Ron and Hermione 4 eva!  
  
Harry potter movie is out now, doo dah . doo dah . harry potter is so cool, doo dah doo dah day .WEEEEE!!!!  
  
Puh-lease review!!!!!!!!  
  
MOI 


	13. Chapter tweleve

Chapter twelve  
  
Daddy's 'loving' words  
  
  
  
Toby, You failed once again. Kill his friends if you must. I don't care, as long as you kill Potter. He MUST die. He deserves it. With his death, comes my life. Once he is dead, I can live again. Get him alone. He is helpless alone. Your father.  
  
  
  
Avolorm scrunched the letter up in angry frustration. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He didn't want to do it. He just wanted to see his father. He never knew who his father was. He had never signed his letters. The only thing he knew was that Potter, his half brother, had reduced him to a thing barely living. He wanted so much to have a family. Even just a father would do. It was more than he had ever had. Every time he saw Potter, he wanted to harm him. He wanted to harm him both Physically and Emotionally. It was his fault that he had no family. It was his fault he was alone in this hurtful world.  
  
He would get him back. His father would help him. His father would help him kill Potter, and he would help regain his father's life.  
  
  
  
Sry it's so short. I don' have all that much time. Cya! fox 


	14. Chapter thirteen

Chapter thirteen  
  
Warts  
  
  
  
All the next day, Harry found it hard to look in Hermione's direction. He felt guilty for what he had done, sneaking into her dorm and out again. He was invading into her love life. He was poking around in something that was none of his business. Hermione found it just as difficult. After what Avolorm had said, she felt as though a part of her was missing.  
  
" Maybe that part is my trust for my friends," She thought to herself.  
  
"Now class, we are going to make a wart removing potion." The students silenced as Snape spoke. He had an evil glint in his eyes and looked far too happy for their health.  
  
" But beware, one mistake could lead to GROWING warts." Snape smirked and sat down. Cautiously, the students of Gryffindor poured and chopped up their ingredients. Not so cautiously, the Slytherins did the same while they talked and joked. For them, there was no need to worry. Snape would never punish a Slytherin. Harry noted that Hermione was sitting in her usual seat, between him and Ron.  
  
" No Ron, your frog liver has to chopped up in finer pieces." Hermione instructed. Ron grumbled something about Snape being a witless git and continued to chop up the mangled liver.  
  
Avolorm strolled casually past Harry's cauldron, dropping in a sheep's brain while he wasn't looking. He smirked. It was too good to be true.  
  
" Potter, your turn to show me your potion." Snape grinned like a maniac as Harry brought the flask over. Grinning just as madly, Avolorm stuck his foot out as Harry was walking past his table. With a yell of surprise, Harry's flask slipped from his fingers and somersaulted in the air. Harry fell forward, the lenses from his glasses cracking as he hit the cold, stone floor. Groaning, he turned over onto his back.  
  
" HARRY!" He could just make out Hermione's voice over the idiotic howls of laughter from the Slytherins. His eyes widened as he saw his flask plummeting towards him. It shattered as it landed on his chest, the brown liquid oozing over his robes and soaking into his skin. Harry screamed in terror as warts sprouted over his hands, his face and neck. He felt them growing on his chest and back.  
  
" Take him to the hospital wing Weasley." Snape said lazily. Ron brushed past a snickering Malfoy, pushing over purposely.  
  
" Ten house points from Gryffindor!" Snape snapped.  
  
" What about him!?! HIS the one who tripped me over!" Harry yelled, pointing a warty finger at Avolorm.  
  
" Twenty points from Gryffindor!" Snape drawled.  
  
" Come on Harry." Ron muttered, shooting Hermione an accusing look, he dragged Harry out of the dungeons.  
  
Read and review plz! 


	15. Chapter fourteen

Chapter fourteen  
  
Respect  
  
  
  
Before Avolorm could go to his next class, Hermione pulled him aside.  
  
" Well?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest. Avolorm stared back at her in confusion.  
  
" Well what?" Avolorm asked innocently.  
  
" You didn't say anything when Harry accused you." Hermione said quietly. To her surprise, he laughed.  
  
" You think I tripped him over?" He asked, taking her hands in his. She looked away, wondering if she did.  
  
"Hermione, I wouldn't do anything to harm you." He said, his gaze softening.  
  
"But I wasn't the one who sprouted warts." She said, almost accusingly.  
  
"But you feel hurt when your friends are hurt right? Hurting your friends would lead to hurting you. I would never do that." He said sincerely. Hermione studied his face carefully.  
  
"I-I'm sorry . I just, I-I ." She blushed and shoved her hands into her pockets. Avolorm smiled.  
  
"Come on, I'll walk you to your next class."  
  
  
  
  
  
Madam Pomphery shook her head disapprovingly as Ron came in the hospital wing with a rather lumpy Harry.  
  
" Again? Master Potter?" She asked. He muttered something about Avolorm under his breath and sat down on a hospital bed. Ron sat down on a chair beside the bed and despite himself, started laughing.  
  
"What?" Harry asked stiffly.  
  
" Your face!" He laughed and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Shut up. Bloody sod ." Harry muttered. He stopped swearing and Ron stopped laughing as madam Pomphery came in with a jar.  
  
" Drink this." She instructed, handing him the bottle.  
  
"The whole thing?" Harry stared with horror at the 500ml bottle.  
  
"The whole thing. You have quite a few warts to get rid of." The nurse nodded and smiled slightly.  
  
"In one go?" Ron noted that Harry's voice was getting rather high pitched. Madam Pomophery nodded again. Harry inspected the red liquid carefully. It looked a lot like muggle cough medicine. Hoping it wouldn't taste like it, Harry took a swig of it. Seconds later, he spat it out, making choking noises.  
  
"Don't like it Harry?" Ron asked, grinning. The nurse frowned.  
  
" Drink it up!" With an amazingly strong grip, she grabbed the back of Harry's neck and poured the liquid into his mouth. He gurgled complaints and curses, waving his arms about, practically dying from the foul taste. Minutes later, when she had finished, he broke away, gasping.  
  
"Are you trying to kill me?" He reached for the jug on the bedside table and gulped the water down, spilling most of it down his front. Ron was pointing and laughing hysterically, until the nurse swatted him on the back of the head.  
  
"What is going on!?!" Hermione was standing in the doorway, watching the scene with interest. The still warty Harry ignored her and continued to gulp down water. Ron rubbed his head and cursed.  
  
  
  
"He just took his medicine and will be needing some rest soon." She gave Ron and Hermione looks that indicated she wanted them to leave soon. Hermione ignored this and pulled out a chair. She waited until the nurse had left and until Harry had finished drinking the whole jug.  
  
" Harry . you don't really think that Toby had tripped you?" Hermione gulped and waited for Harry's response, trying to read his expression as best she could.  
  
"Yes." Harry said quite calmly. "I do."  
  
Hermione let out an exasperated sigh and leant back in her chair. She couldn't believe her that best friend could be so pig headed. She had seen Avolorm's sincere eyes. He had told her that he would never do anything to hurt her and that was enough evidence for her.  
  
" Even though two whole classes were there. You seriously think that he would do such a thing in front of such a large number of people?" She wrung her hands in her lap.  
  
"Nothing stops him. He just doesn't give up, does he, the barstard ." Ron muttered. He hadn't seen Avolorm do any thing but he could tell. The fake look of surprise, the fake hurt in his eyes when he had accused him . It was enough to tell him that Avolorm was bent on hurting Harry. Sprouting warts wasn't too bad. It wouldn't kill him, but Ron was convinced that Avolorm was the one who had attempted to poison him the other night.  
  
"What do mean 'nothing stops him'?" Hermione asked icily. "Are you implying that Avolorm purposely burnt Harry?"  
  
"Yes. And not just that. I know that it was him who had tried to poison Harry the other night." Ron crossed his arms, satisfied. But Hermione was anything but satisfied.  
  
"You pig headed ass hole!" She spat. " What makes you so high and mighty? What makes you so confident?" Hermione blinked back the tears that were brimming in her eyes. She couldn't let them see her cry. Anything but let them think that she was nothing but a mere little girl who couldn't express her anger and disappointment in a way other than crying. She turned to Harry.  
  
" What about you Harry? Surely you don't think Toby would do such a thing!" Harry remained silent. He tried not to meet her eyes. Hermione stood up and stomped her foot.  
  
"You are both ignorant, ass holes!" With that, she stormed out the room, just before she burst into tears. Ron's jaw dropped.  
  
"How can she want to protect him?" He gaped. Harry felt his stomach churn.  
  
"How can she walk out on us like that? Just when we need her wits to help us here!" Ron continued. Harry sighed and watched a wart on his finger slowly shrink.  
  
"We deserved it." He said quietly. Ron spun around to meet his eyes. He couldn't believe it. Harry was standing up for Hermione after she had just insulted them both for nothing.  
  
" We DESERVED it? Tell me how Harry. I'd like to know WHY I deserved being called a bloody ass hole." Ron stood up and stared down at Harry. Harry sighed and fidgeted with his pillow for a while.  
  
" We both know how much she likes Avolorm." Harry could taste the foul sound of the sentence as he said it. " We should have . I dunno . given her more respect ." He finished lamely.  
  
"More respect than she bloody deserves?" Ron ranted.  
  
"Ron. We didn't give her any respect at all! We have been through her mail, you've followed her when she went to see this guy .And yet, we call us her best friends." Harry could feel the guilt flooding through him and into his pool of misery, which was over flooded. He could feel the guilt pumping in his blood. Ron suddenly became quiet and sat down. Harry guessed that he was experiencing the same sinking feeling that he was.  
  
"As much as I'd hate to say it," Harry continued, sighing, " She has all the right in the world to like this guy." Ron flushed a hot pink and he too stormed out of the hospital wing, leaving Harry to deal with his misery alone.  
  
  
  
Come on ppls! I need some bloody reviews! I'm loosing all my fagging enthusiasm here! 


	16. Chapter fifteen

Chapter fifteen  
  
Father  
  
  
  
Avolorm's heart stopped when he saw the crow perched on his windowsill of his dorm. It squawked and hopped onto the floor. Avolorm bent down and untied the envelope on its right leg. With trembling fingers, he opened ripped it open.  
  
Toby,  
  
You are trying hard. I can see that. But not hard enough. It is time we meet. Tonight, midnight, the forbidden forest. Be there.  
  
Avolorm flung himself on his bed. He couldn't believe it. At last he was going to meet his father. Somehow, Avolorm feared him. He feared how his own father wanted him to kill. He feared the cold words he sent him. He didn't know WHO his father was. All he knew was that Harry Potter had deprived him of his powers. Now, sixteen years later, his son was meant to seek revenge.  
  
  
  
Avolorm shuddered as the cold wind whipped his face, he drew his cloak closer around him and carried on. He had no idea WHERE in the Forbidden forest he was meant to go, but he had the sneaking suspicion that his father would find him. As soon as he set foot among the trees, the wind stopped its howling song. The usual sounds of nature had stopped. It was quiet. Too quiet. As though all living things could feel a presence. A presence not man, nor beast. Avolorm could feel it. He could feel it sneaking upon him. From the shadows, figures in black emerged, heads bowed. Soon, Avolorm found himself in the centre of a ring of people. All of which were wearing green masks.  
  
" Hello Toby." Heart racing, Avolorm spun around and screamed. A creature with milky white skin, glowing red eyes, long arms and no legs drifted before him. It was like a ghost, but far too solid.  
  
" I am your father, Toby." It said calmly, ignoring the looks of horror on the boy's face.  
  
"I am Lord Voldemort." It continued. Avolorm collapsed onto the ground, shaking his head.  
  
"No . Y-you can't be ." He spluttered, backing away. It glided towards him, smirking.  
  
"My, you are rather blunt aren't you?" It commented, gliding in circles above his head.  
  
"I told you enough to realise that I am Lord Voldemort. I am the one who was defeated by Harry Potter as an infant. I was the one whos very name was feared. Yes, I am your father." Avolorm scrambled to his feet opening and closing his mouth, trying to speak, but fear clogged up his throat.  
  
"But alas. You were brought up in the muggle world and knew nothing of your father's greatness. You knew nothing about the famous Harry Potter or the famous Voldemort."  
  
" I-I ." Avolorm couldn't believe it. His father was that hideous creature. " Who was my mother?" He gulped.  
  
"Your mother was a mudblood. That was why I left her." It replied stiffly.  
  
"You left my mother? What about me? Didn't you want me?" Avolorm's voice wavered with hurt and fear.  
  
"At that stage, I didn't know you would be born."  
  
"I was a mistake?" Avolorm asked hoarsely. He could feel tears stinging behind his eyes.  
  
" But of course, after I found out you were born, I went to get you back." Voldemort's eyes flashed with an inhuman flame of fury as he reflected.  
  
"Then . Potter turned me into this." By now its voice was like the thunder and its eyes the lightning.  
  
"Look at me, Toby. Look at me. I am a thing neither living nor dead. I am a thing neither man nor beast." Avolorm wiped his eyes, cursing himself for the tear forming under his eyelids. Voldemort waved its hand and soon, an image of a man with jet-black hair and ice grey eyes appeared beside it.  
  
" That is the real me." It said quietly. "Tom Marvolo Riddle."  
  
"You don't want your father to remain like this, do you?" It asked, drawing closer towards its son. Avolorm bit his lip and shook his head.  
  
"You want me to look like this. Like the real me. A human. A living human. Am I right?" Avolorm nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. He couldn't help it. He had wanted so much a father that would love him. But this. This was not his father. It was a demon. A creature from the depths of hell.  
  
'Well, obey my commands, and you will have a father." Voldemort created a dagger out of thin air. It handed it to Avolorm.  
  
"You know what you must do. Bring me the head of Harry Potter and you won't regret it." With a blaze of light, Voldemort vanished, the Death Eaters along with it.  
  
  
  
I dunno why I kept calling Voldemort 'it' but what the hell can I call something that isn't living or dead? Yes, I was under the influence of coke when I wrote this and bloody well proud of it.  
  
Plz read and review! 


	17. Chapter sixteen

In one of the previous chaptas I had clearly stated I am a Hermione + Ron fan. ^_^ I put this story under Harry + Hermione 'cauz it's not a romance and they ARE the ones that Avolorm is affecting the most .  
  
Any way, enjoy!  
  
  
  
Chapter sixteen  
  
Good night, Good riddance!  
  
  
  
Harry stared into the darkness that blanketed the Hospital Wing. He grimaced and touched his scar. It was burning, like his head was on fire. With a groan, he rolled over. He had to sleep. No brain, no pain. Harry closed his eyes and waited for sleep to creep upon him. After a few minutes, he heard footsteps. They were quiet and slow, as though someone was climbing the stairs carefully. With a thud from his heart, Harry remembered the purple water. He scrambled out of bed and hurriedly stuffed pillows under the sheets. Just as he heard the door slide open, he dived behind the cupboard.  
  
A figure in robes of black glided into the Hospital Wing. Heart pounding, Harry peered out from behind the cupboard. The figure withdrew a long dagger out from beneath its cloak. It held the blade up, positioned above Harry's bed. Harry closed his eyes as he heard the ripping of fabric. He knew there was not going to be blood of course, but the thought of some one wanting so desperately to kill him made him sick with fear. After the sixth stab, the figure turned and left. Harry waited for the click of the Hospital Wing door and got up. Harry's stomach somersaulted when he saw the mess. If he had fallen asleep . He didn't want to think about it. With a sigh, he took out his wand.  
  
" Repairo." He muttered. Instantly, the bed returned to normal, it was even made for him. There was no need for the staff to know about this. He would tell Ron and Hermione, they would help him. With a jolt, Harry remembered the last conversation he had had with them the day before. Hermione had left in tears and Ron in a rage. He would have to handle it himself.  
  
Avolorm smirked as he glided noiselessly down the stairs to the Slytherin Common room. If that didn't kill him, he didn't know what would. He opened and closed the dorm door quietly. No need for Malfoy, Crabbe or Goyle to know he had been up that late.  
  
" Where have you been, Toby?" Avolorm spun around to see Malfoy sitting up on his bed, a slight grin on his face.  
  
" In the common room." He replied stiffly, slipping out of his cloak. Malfoy raised and eyebrow and smirked.  
  
"Really? Reading, I guess?" He asked with a glint in his eye.  
  
"Yes. As a matter of fact I was studying for potions." Avolorm lied. Malfoy held up a book. A potions book. Avolorm's potion book.  
  
"With out your potions book?" Malfoy grinned, " Going out with Granger again, I suppose?"  
  
"What makes you say that?" Avolorm said quietly. Although he sounded calm, he was sweating. Malfoy knew something and it wasn't good.  
  
"She's a mudblood!" Malfoy spat, throwing the book on the floor, waking up Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
"So?" Avolorm asked, remembering his mother. Now that he knew his mother was one, he didn't care about Malfoy's hatred for them.  
  
"What do you mean SO? Mudblood! Dirty creatures! And you are in love with one!" Malfoy snorted, his usually slick hair messy in his frustration.  
  
"No I'm not." Avolorm replied calmly. He smirked slightly. He didn't know he was that good an actor. Malfoy held up a letter and shoved it into Avolorm's face.  
  
Dear Toby, Meet me at the lake again tonight. How about ten O' clock? Luv u!  
  
Mione.  
  
Avolorm laughed and scrunched the paper up in his palm.  
  
"That's what she thinks!" Malfoy looked stunned. After a moment's hesitation, Avolorm told Malfoy everything. Everything apart from his father being Lord Voldemort.  
  
  
  
Hermione dug her hands into her armpits in a pathetic attempt to keep them warm. The snow was heavy and she had been waiting for hours. She sighed and looked around. To her right, she saw fresh footsteps in the snow. They were leading up towards her and stoped in the middle of nowhere. She narrowed her eyes and scowled.  
  
"Even an invisibility cloak can't hide footsteps!" Hemione yelled, stomping towards them. Out of nowhere, Ron Weasley's head appeared. He took one look at his friend's face and tried to retrace his steps.  
  
" Oh no you don't!" She growled as she grabbed him by the collar of the cloak. Ron let out a yelp as she dragged him towards her. Hermione ripped the cloak off Ron's shoulders to make him easier to abuse. The now visible Ron sighed and stood up, brushing the snow off his robes.  
  
" Explain." Hermione demanded coldly.  
  
" Mione, I-" He started, going red in the face.  
  
" What were you doing?" She advanced on him, making him walk backwards.  
  
" I, uh, was taking a walk ." Ron stumbled on a small stone and fell to the ground, staring up in fear at the mass of raged hormones towering above him.  
  
"Oh? With this on?" Hermione asked in false sweetness, holding up the silvery cloak. Ron nodded dumbly.  
  
"YOU WERE FOLLOWING ME WEREN'T YOU?!!" Hermione yelled, throwing the cloak to the ground. By now, Ron's freckles were hidden by the red blush that had taken over his face. With amazing strength, Hermione hauled him up by the front of his robes and stood him up on his feet.  
  
"Now, you will tell me WHY you were following me." Hermione said, jabbing his chest roughly with her index finger.  
  
" I-I know about you and Avolorm-" Ron flinched, expecting her to explode, but the explosion never came. Just shocked silence.  
  
"There is no me and Avolorm." She hissed dangerously.  
  
" I know Mione-"  
  
"DON'T call me Mione!" Hermione interrupted. Ron ignored this and continued.  
  
" Mione, I know there is no you and Avolorm. He's faking it. He's using you. He knows you are Harry's best friend and he knows-" Ron's voice trailed off. He hated the truth in it, but it was true.  
  
" He knows you like him." Ron finished lamely. He looked up at Hermione and wondered what was going on behind that stiff mask on her face, hiding her real emotions. Before he could say any more, an open palm came flying across his left cheek, causing him to buckle at the knees.  
  
"Get out." Hermione hissed. " Get out of my life." With that she turned and left, leaving Ron there on his knees in the snow.  
  
  
  
I am soooooo out of ideas here!!!  
  
SOS! Ideas! Puh-lease!!!?! 


	18. Chapter seventeen

Chapter seventeen  
  
Stupefied  
  
  
  
" Mr Weasley! What happened to you?" The nurse couldn't help but smile as she ushered a rather red Ron into the hospital wing. Ron tried not to make any eye contact with Harry as he sat down two beds away, holding a mirror to his face. The whole left side of his face was red and swollen, with three long scratch marks from Hermione's long nails.  
  
" Here, hold this ice pack to your face, it'll slow the swelling." The nurse said, handing Ron the ice pack.  
  
"Why not magic it away?" Ron muttered.  
  
"Why fight in the first place?" The nurse shoot back. Ron rolled his eyes and groaned.  
  
"What happened anyway?" The nurse continued, " A fist fight with your other male buddies?"  
  
" No where near it." Ron grumbled flinching at the cold of the pack. The nurse shook her head and left the room. Harry waited a while for his face to straighten and turned to Ron.  
  
"What happened?" He asked, watching a wart shrink slowly. The other boy ignored him and continued to sulk.  
  
"Where you following Hermione?" Harry hinted slyly. Ron glared at him.  
  
"What makes you say that?" Ron continued his lethal glare.  
  
"Well, a number of things actually ." Harry grinned slightly. " The scratch marks, the sulk and, um, the most obvious . MY invisibility cloak which is sticking out of your pocket. Please remove it before it gets crumpled."  
  
Ron did so, but not before throwing the worst swear words he could think of at him. With an annoyed grunt, he threw it at Harry and to Harry's surprise, walked over and sat on his bed.  
  
"She slapped me." Ron muttered darkly.  
  
"Slapped you eh?" Harry asked, inspecting his face in the mirror, watching with satisfaction as the last wart shrunk.  
  
"Yeah, defending Avolorm." Ron's insides seemed to explode every time he thought of Hermione and Avolorm together.  
  
"Ah, Mr Potter! I see your warts are gone, well, I see no point in you staying. Back to your common room. Chop chop!" Madam Pomphery interrupted, as she walked past.  
  
"Oh, ah, right then!" Harry answered. He turned back to Ron.  
  
"You're an idiot." Harry said, frowning.  
  
"Why thankyou." Ron cracked.  
  
"NO, seriously. You should have told her."  
  
"Told her what?!" Ron asked.  
  
"How you feel." Harry picked up his bag and turned to leave.  
  
"How I feel?" Ron repeated stupidly. Harry rolled his green eyes.  
  
"You so obviously like her." Harry said, amused. Ron, however, felt as though some one had stuck his wand up his bum.  
  
"I do not. I- I just don't want my best friend hanging around that Avolorm character." Ron said hotly. Harry smirked.  
  
"How come you don't just face the facts and drop the subject. Like I do?" Harry asked, grinning like a maniac.  
  
" Huh?" Ron asked, doing a perfect imitation of Crabbe when some one asks for his name.  
  
" Don't forget. I am Hermione's best friend as well and I hate Avolorm just as much as you do."  
  
" Well, it's b-because-" Ron stuttered.  
  
"It's because I don't feel for Hermione in that way. I think of her as a best friend and only that. But you ." Harry grinned mischievously. " You are another story."  
  
" See you tomorrow!" Harry patted Ron's back and left, leaving Ron with the word 'stupefied' written all over his freckled face.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
I m going on strike if I don't get any more reviews!  
  
So move it or lose it ppls!  
  
^_^ 


	19. Chapter eighteen

Chapter eighteen  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'm so stuffed." Ron groaned as he gathered his potion books.  
  
"And why are you stuffed?" Harry asked, amused.  
  
"Because Snape is going to eat me." Ron replied bluntly. He bumped his knee on the table and swore loudly, scoring a long lecture from his sister, Ginny.  
  
" And why is Snape going to eat you?" Harry asked after an annoyed Ginny scuttled away to lecture a first year who littered in the Common Room.  
  
"Because he's a moron." Ron cracked, being a smart arse.  
  
"No, Ronald Weasley, It's because YOU couldn't be bothered doing your homework last night. Too busy STALKING innocent people." Hermione commented coldly as she pushed past him. Ron gawked after her.  
  
"Oh yeah? Well-" Ron paused to think up a good back up statement. Hermione turned to face him and gave him a nasty smile.  
  
"What?" She folded her arms and smirked. Harry noted with hurt that it was the smirk that Malfoy and Avolorm wore quite regularly.  
  
" I-I wasn't stalking ." He said lamely. Hermione narrowed her eyes and sauntered towards him with her arms folded. She stood so close to him that he could smell her hair and worked out that she used the same shampoo that Ginny used.  
  
"Then what were you doing? Oh smart one?" She asked sarcastically.  
  
"Nothing." Ron replied, collecting all the courage he could muster. " Nothing important and would you please move out of my way." Harry shook his head sadly. He couldn't believe his own best friend could be so stubbornly stupid when dealing with a cross Hermione. Hermione laughed sourly.  
  
"Oh. Don't you worry about that. I'll be out of your way forever." She snapped.  
  
"Good." Ron said with a fake confidence and loud enough for the whole of the Common Room to hear. They watched in pitied silence as Ron scored himself another slap. On the right check this time. Hermione turned and left. The other Gryffindors moved out of her way in fear of injury. Harry helped Ron up to his feet and sighed.  
  
Ginny confirmed to Ron that his right cheek was just swollen and not scratched like the left. All though it did have interesting shades of colour.  
  
"I've told you once and I'll tell you again. Female hormones are a thing to fear." Harry chuckled.  
  
" Yeah." Ron agreed bitterly. " Especially if those female Hormones are Hermione's.  
  
  
  
Avolorm scowled as Harry and Ron sauntered casually into the dungeons. He couldn't believe it. He had failed. Again! He flinched as the image of the creature that was his father drifted into his head.  
  
"Bring me the head of Harry Potter." He could hear it's eerie voice. Again. Again. Again. He couldn't take it any more. He held his head in his hands and dug his nails into his forehead, trying to make it all go away.  
  
"Toby?" Hermione asked concerned. Ron noted with disgust that Hermione was seated between Avolorm and Malfoy. Harry noted with interest that Malfoy didn't make any fuss about sitting next to Hermione Granger. A muggle born.  
  
"Have your essays ready as I come around with your tests." Snape drawled lazily as he stood up from his desk. Ron groaned and slid down as low as he could in his seat. Snape ignored Ron's groan and continued.  
  
" You will have an hour to complete this sheet and I trust you will all get full marks, since your essays would have covered all of this. And if you don't achieve full marks, it's detention with me." Snape said with an evil laugh. That was too much for Ron. He slid right out of his chair.  
  
  
  
After an hour, every one handed in their test answers and essays. Except Ron, who handed in two blank pieces of parchment. Snape grinned like a little boy who found a chocolate factory under the Christmas tree. Only, no child could have been as evil. Ron was granted two detentions and a whopping long speech from the potions master. The Slytherins were howling with laughter. And only one Gryffindor joined in. Hermione.  
  
As Harry and Ron got ready to leave the classroom, Malfoy came to add further insult to an injury.  
  
"Oh my! Look! Weasley has finally discovered how to cover his freckles! Nice colours. Blue, black, green, red, Oh! Even purple! Goes well with everything else that you own. All bruised and battered." Malfoy was of course referring to Ron's bruises. Ron looked away quickly. Hermione was just metres away, wearing, Harry noticed, a rather guilty expression.  
  
" Malfoy. Get a life." Harry snapped, defending his friend.  
  
"I have." Malfoy replied coolly. " I see you have just managed to keep yours too." Harry raised an eyebrow. How did he know about the other night? Was it him? Hermione, who was talking with Avolorm at the time, noticed him act strangely at Malfoy's words.  
  
"Toby? What's the matter?" She asked. She noticed a drop of sweat slide down his forehead.  
  
"I-I have to go." He replied flatly. Without another word he ran. He ran all the way to the Slytherin Common room. He didn't care that he was missing Herbology. He had to get away.  
  
Hermione stared after him in a shocked silence. Things were far too strange for her to comprehend.  
  
Harry grabbed Ron's arm, realising that he hadn't told Ron about the other night.  
  
"Harry! What are you doing? Oi! Transfiguration is THAT way!" Ron yelled as Harry dragged him past the Transfiguration classroom and towards the toilets.  
  
"AUGH! NO! HARRY! That's a GIRLS bathroom!!!" Ron hissed trying to yank free of Harry's grip. Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"Moaning Myrtle's bathroom." He said, " Honestly. The 'out of order' sign should of tipped you off that no ones in there."  
  
"Oh." Ron looked around nervously as Harry pushed open the door.  
  
"Listen." Harry said once inside the bathroom, " Someone tried to kill me last night."  
  
"What else is new?" Ron commented dryly.  
  
"No, seriously. Someone tried to stab me." Harry whispered.  
  
"With a knife?" Ron asked, in doubt. No one would dare . not with Dumbledore at the school.  
  
"No, with a bread roll." A voice said sarcastically from above their heads. The two boys looked up to see Moaning Myrtle drifting above their heads, wearing a huge grin.  
  
"Were you eves dropping?" Harry asked, flushing a bright red.  
  
"You could say that. But you can't blame me. YOU shouldn't be in here anyway!"  
  
"She has a point." Ron said stupidly.  
  
"Leave us alone!" Harry demanded hotly.  
  
"Why? This is MY bathroom! MY death place!" The spectre's face was crumpling. " You don't care how I feel! No body cares! Let's all insult Myrtle, she's dead. She has no feelings!" With a shriek, she dived into the toilet.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Thanks a bunch." Ron grumbled at lunch. " Now I've got TWO detentions, One from Snape, and another from Mcgonagol." Ron looked up to see Hermione walking over to the Gryffindor Table, and Harry watching in interest.  
  
"Oi! YOU earned me that extra detention! The least you could do is LISTEN to me!" Ron yelled, impatient.  
  
" Where's Avolorm." Harry murmured to himself.  
  
"WHAT? Who cares where they are? They can soak their heads for all I care!" Ron ranted.  
  
"RON! I know who it is!" Harry turned to Ron, his eyes sparkling with excitement.  
  
"You're not making any sense." Ron said bluntly.  
  
"Ron, its Malfoy! HE'S the one who tried to kill me!" Harry hissed.  
  
"Oh." 


	20. Chapter nineteen

Chapter nineteen  
  
Suicidio  
  
  
  
"Why did you say it?" Avolorm hissed, slamming Malfoy to the wall.  
  
"Say what?" Malfoy chocked, clawing at Avolorm's strong hands that pinned him up a whole rulers length from the ground.  
  
"About me trying to kill him?"  
  
"I-I didn't! I just said . that he was in fact still alive ." Avolorm loosened his grip slightly. With a grin, he let go all together, causing the blonde boy to slide to the floor.  
  
"Wonderful! Now he'll think YOU did it!" Avolorm said with glee. With a laugh, he wnet out of the dormitory and locked the door behind him.  
  
  
  
Avolorm scanned the library shelf in panic. He had to hurry, the librarian would return soon and he wasn't meant to be in this part of the library. His heart leapt as his finger ran across the spine of an old and battered spell book. 'Forgotten Curses of the Darkness.' Rather than opening it, Avolorm tucked it under his arm and ran towards the door. He knew what would happen if he opened it there, he would be caught no doubt about it.  
  
Back in his Dormitory, Avolorm opened the stolen library book after tying Malfoy up and gagging him. He was so close to succeding and there was no way he was going to fail again. He would do everything nesiccary. Malfoy let out a muffled whine from the floor and copped a kick in the ribs.  
  
"I'd better go now. It's Dinner time." With a smirk, Avolorm left the room.  
  
Malfoy managed to struggle to his knees and crawled his way over to Avolorm's table. With a grunt, he pulled the library book down to the floor and inspected the page that Avolorm had been reading for so long:  
  
The 'Suicidio' spell  
  
This spell is the only one known that is more powerful than the AvraKadra spell. The reason it is not used, is the grim fact that the one to cast it will die with the victim.  
  
Malfoy sat back in panic. When Avolorm had first told him about his urge to kill the famous Harry Potter, he just took it as a joke and went along with it. But now, he could see the real monster that Avolorm was. As he leant forward to stretch his tired back bone, he noticed small writing at the bottom that had been made almost invisible by a big blot of blue ink. After reading it, he ripped the page out with his mouth and pushed it under the bed. The only thing that was keeping him going now was that little ray of hope that shined onto the small writing on the bottom of the page.  
  
Don't ask me how I got that wacky name for that fagging spell. fox 


	21. Chapter twenty

Chapter twenty  
  
Second last step  
  
  
  
"Toby, what's wrong with you? You've been so . weird lately." Hermione commented as she allowed Avolorm to walk her to the school grounds. He ignored this question and focused on what he had to get over and done with.  
  
"I heard you had another fight with your best friends." He said casually.  
  
" Please don't use their names and the word 'best friends' in the same sentence." Hermione said coldly.  
  
"You know, I think you should make up and all with them. They aren't really that bad." He said with a silent hope that she would and allow his plot to go as planned.  
  
"You think so? But, I dunno, after I-" Hermione blushed. " After I slapped Ron, I don't think he would be too happy to be my friend again, and besides . it'll be humiliating to say sorry in front of all those people." Avolorm's heart skipped with absolute joy.  
  
"Why don't you meet them in the forbidden forest to make up with them?" He hinted, his fingers crossed in his robes.  
  
"I dunno. It's against the rules." Hermione said, walking slower.  
  
"But it's for a good cause. I mean, after a short conference in the woods you can go back to the castle and no one would know YOU said sorry."  
  
'Only, Potter won't be coming back.' Avolorm said silently to himself.  
  
"That's a wonderful idea! I'll send them a note and we'll meet tonight! Oh, thank you so much Toby!" Hermione gushed, going bright pink in her excitement.  
  
" Harry, an owl is pecking at the window." Ron said, stating the obvious. Harry got up and let it in. It perched itself onto Dean's desk and relieved itself.  
  
"Ew! Glad that's not my desk! Gross!" Ron said, wrinkling his nose.  
  
"You'd better clean it up." Harry said, packing his homework away in case the owl wasn't finished.  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"Well, Why me?" Harry replied, running a hair through his hair.  
  
"Look, let's just leave it there and let Dean clean it up." Ron said, leaning back in his chair. Harry shook his head and closed the Dormitory door.  
  
"Won't Dean be glad to find a little pile of dried bird poop on his desk." Harry laughed.  
  
"OWL poop." Ron corrected. With a laugh, he reached forward and untied the note from the owl's leg. He stopped laughing when he recognised Hermione's neat writing on the parchment.  
  
Harry closed the window after the owl took off and snatched the note off Ron.  
  
"To Ron and Harry. I was wondering if you'd come meet me in the forbidden forest. Just behind Hagrid's hut tonite at 9 0'clock. I'll be waiting! From Hermione." Harry read out loud.  
  
"What's she want now? Make my head swollen as well?" Ron muttered darkly, rubbing his face. Thanks to Madam Pomphery, his bruises were gone ( Magic of course ) but the three scratches still remained. Harry ignored him and looked up at the clock.  
  
"8: 45. We'd better get going soon."  
  
________________________________________________________________________ 


	22. Chapter twentyone

Chapter twenty-one  
  
My dear brother  
  
  
  
Avolorm waited in the spot that Hermione had told him that she was going to. It was 8:45, a little too early but near enough. He hadn't needed to send and owl to his father of course. He knew that his father would be hiding in the dark of the this forest and would feel their presence. Soon, he heard voices.  
  
"I can't believe this. Late for her own meetings!" Ron grumbled as he dug his hands into his armpits.  
  
"She's not late, WE'RE early." Harry said, checking his watch.  
  
"Told you we were leaving too early. But Nooooo, no need to listen to me-" Ron raved. He may as well have been alone because he was the only one who was listening.  
  
Harry looked into the darkness of the trees and shivered. His scar was burning like crazy.  
  
"See! You're doing it again! WHAT ON EARTH IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?" Ron ranted as he realised that his friend was not listening.  
  
  
  
In the Slytherin Dormitory, Malfoy sighed and closed his eyes. He may as well sleep to pass the time. With a start, he realised that some one was opening the door.  
  
"Draco? What are you doing down there?" Malfoy looked up to see Crabbe and Goyle towering above him. He had never been so glad to see them.  
  
"Untie me!" Was what he intended to say, but because of his gag, it came out like this: "Ungnnmm!"  
  
"I think his trying to say something." Crabbe said after a minute or two.  
  
"How can you tell?" The other ignoramus asked, scratching his scalp.  
  
"Well, his making weird noises ."  
  
"Should we untie him?" Goyle questioned.  
  
" What if he gets mad?" Crabbe said stepping back slightly. Malfoy sighed and shook his head. If only he had SMARTER accomplices.  
  
" Let's leave him alone. He might get mad at us if we untie him." Crabbe continued. Goyle nodded in agreement and to Malfoy's dismay, they left the room. Malfoy couldn't believe it. They were just leaving him there to die? Then again, they wouldn't know any better.  
  
"Where's Malfoy?" Malfoy allowed himself to hope again once he heard Flint's voice.  
  
"He's in his room." Crabbe answered.  
  
"Can you get him out here?"  
  
"We can't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He's tied up on the floor with a gag in his mouth." The next thing Malfoy knew was Flint rushing into the room and telling Crabbe and Goyle off. He bent over and after a few minutes, Malfoy was free.  
  
"Thanks!" Malfoy said, grabbing the piece of paper from under the bed. Without another word, he was out of the room.  
  
  
  
"We meet again do we?" The two boys jumped at the icy voice behind them. They turned to see a creature not man or beast. A creature not living or dead. Voldemort.  
  
"Y-Your not Hermione!" Ron squeaked, backing away in terror. The creature smiled nastily. Avolorm walked out from the shadows, wearing the same smile. A sudden pang of pain rushed upon Harry, bringing him to the floor.  
  
"HARRY!" Hermione had just arrived and screamed out in disgust at the creature hovering above. Her eyes passed over Harry, then Ron and finally to Avolorm.  
  
"Toby?" She stuttered. He smirked.  
  
"Fooled you didn't I?" He snarled. "You know, I should thank you. I wouldn't be able to accomplish what I will tonight without you." Harry got up, rubbing his forehead.  
  
"Is this true Hermione?" He asked quietly. Hermione shook her head, blinking back the tears.  
  
" Toby. Why are you doing this?" She asked, backing away towards Ron.  
  
"Why? Oh, I'll tell you why. Revenge." With a flick of his wand, he sent Harry sprawling to the ground. As Harry tried to get up again, Avolorm moved forward and kicked him hard in the ribs. Harry lay on the cold ground, expecting another blow, but it never came. He rolled over onto his back and propped himself up on his elbows. He wiped the blood away from his mouth and glared up at Avolorm with loathing.  
  
"I never did anything to you!" Harry yelled.  
  
"But you did plenty to harm me. Harry Potter." The spectral figure glided towards him with a grin on its ugly face.  
  
" Look at me." It hissed. " You deprived me of my very life. I am nothing now Harry. Nothing." Harry stared up at it in confusion.  
  
"Remember that fateful day Harry? The day you earned the name 'the boy who lived'?" Harry looked away.  
  
"Voldemort." He whispered.  
  
"My father." Avolorm said quietly. Hermione gasped.  
  
"Ironic, isn't it? My very own brother did this to my father." He continued, kicking Harry again. Harry flinched and tried to get up.  
  
"I'm not your brother! M-My father is James Potter-" Harry yelled, not wanting to believe a single thing that was being imprinted into his mind.  
  
"I know that. Lily Potter is your mother. And mine." Avolorm said with a scowl on his once handsome face.  
  
"NO! My mother would never do that!" Harry said, getting up to his feet.  
  
"She did Harry Potter. Before she married your scumbag father, she loved Tom Riddle. Of course, I never knew of what she really was. A Mudblood. So, I left her after I found out. But I left too late. She was pregnant. So, to save face, she married James Potter. Then, she had YOU." Voldemort said smoothly.  
  
"Like that muggle father of yours aren't you?" Harry yelled, clenching his fists. Remembering what Tom Riddle had told him in his second year. Voldemort narrowed his red eyes menacingly. Avolorm stepped forward, sensing that his father had had enough.  
  
"Nice knowing you, brother." Avolorm twirled his wand between his long fingers, staring at Harry. Harry stared back. In those ice grey eyes, he knew there was loneliness. Regret. A longing for being loved. With a pang of pain in his chest, Harry remembered that he had the very same longing so many years ago, before coming to Hogwarts.  
  
"I'm going to finish what my father never could." Avolorm said, pointing his wand at Harry. He expected Harry to beg for mercy, to back away, to pull out his own wand. However, Harry did the complete opposite.  
  
Harry took a step closer.  
  
"Toby. Don't do this." He said gently. Avolorm lowered his wand slightly. Shocked that Harry was calling him by his first name. Voldemort, sensing that its son was weakening, glided forward.  
  
"What are you waiting for? Do it! Kill him!" The creature hissed dangerously.  
  
"No, Toby. Don't. There is no need for this. This is pointless." Harry said quickly. Taking another step forward, hoping to gain his brother's trust.  
  
"SHUT UP! There is!" Avolorm was shaking now. Harry saw a faint glimmer of hope.  
  
" You just want a family, don't you?" Harry asked.  
  
"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!" Voldemort shrieked.  
  
"I'm your brother, Toby. I can be your family. I want a family as badly as you do." Harry said in what he hoped was a soothing voice. As he said it, he realised. He spoke the truth.  
  
"And I am your father Toby. I am your only family." Voldemort hissed.  
  
"Toby. You can't do this. I'm your brother." Harry said, desperately.  
  
"Yes I can. There is no such thing as brotherly love." Avolorm closed his eyes.  
  
"Suicidio!" Avolorm bellowed. A bright white light flashed from his wand. Harry yelled out in pain and fell to his knees. His scar was splitting his head in two. He gasped for air, his lungs bursting with the effort. He slumped down onto the ground, seeing nothing but white. Soon, the white turned gradually onto a black nothingness.  
  
Harry and Avolorm both lay on the ground. Hermione let out a sob and buried her head in her hands. Ron put his arm around her awkwardly. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. His best friend couldn't just die like that. Not without saying goodbye, without living his life to the full. Ron let go of the sobbing Hermione and walked slowly towards his best friend's body. His face was peaceful, his eyes closed. Ron turned to Avolorm who was a few feet away. His face was twisted in agony, his eyes wide and staring at nothing. As Ron took a step closer, he heard a crunch under his foot. He looked down and found that he cracked one of Harry's lenses. With shaking fingers, he picked the round rimmed glasses up from the ground. Ron could hold it no longer. With a loud rasping from his dry throat, he knelt down and let it all go. The tears flowed over his checks rapidly. As though to mirror his feelings, it started to snow, making another layer over the thick white blanket that was already smothering the grass. He ignored it and watched sadly as the snowflakes landed softly onto Harry's pale face. His hands absent- mindedly stroked the glasses that once belonged to his friend. He wanted to hold it forever. He wanted to remember everything. In his minds eye he saw Harry laughing and putting his glasses on. He saw him gliding gracefully on his broomstick, landing and laughing at Ron's eagerness to try it too. He saw Harry groaning at his test mark. He saw him smacking a snowball across Malfoy's head. He saw him frog marching Hermione and Ron across the school grounds. He saw Himself and Harry fighting over Hermione in fifth year then laughing and vowing to never think of her as a female again. It's strange that way, how someone can be alive one minute, then a mere memory the next. Ron cried at the bitterness of it all. He couldn't believe the world could be so damn mean. He was ripped out of his reflecting by loud, mocking, evil laughter. The laughter went on and on and never stopped. It only drifted up into the sky.  
  
"He just laughs. He used Toby to kill Harry and just laughs." Ron said bitterly.  
  
"TOBY!" Malfoy burst into the clearing, waving a piece of paper above his head. He stopped running as he saw the two limp figures in the snow.  
  
"I'm too late, aren't I?" He asked quietly. Hermione didn't ponder over Malfoy's strange change but nodded quietly. Without a word, he passed the paper to her and put a hand on Ron's shoulder. Hermione sniffed and squinted past the blob of blue ink and read the words hidden beneath. With a squeal, she held a hand over her mouth and ran to Ron, crying with happiness. It wasn't too late after all. There was hope. And there was only one person who could bring it.  
  
  
  
"SNAPE!! PROFESSOR SNAPE!!!" Hermione flung the staff room doors open, ignoring the teacher's curious and enraged looks. She spotted the potions master hanging his cape up on the wall.  
  
"Snape! You have to help us!" She pleaded, running into the room.  
  
  
  
Dumbledore shook his head as he stared down at Harry. The two bodies were placed in the hospital wing. Ron stood by Harry's bed, still holding the glasses.  
  
"Never thought I'd see the day." The head master muttered. He passed the small piece of paper to Professor Mcgonagol.  
  
"The only way to reverse the spell is the Mojojuice Potion." She read aloud.  
  
"Can you do it?" She asked Snape who was standing motionless in a corner.  
  
"It will take a while ." He replied, after a moments pause.  
  
"How long?" Hermione asked anxiously.  
  
"A while." Snape repeated. With a swish of his robes, he disappeared out the door. Hermione slipped her hand over Ron's. His hand still gripped the glasses.  
  
"Keep them safe Ron. He'll be needing them soon." She said with silent joy. Ron smiled slightly.  
  
"I will."  
  
  
  
Don't ask where I got 'mojojuice' from. 


	23. Ten years Later

Epilogue  
  
Ten years later  
  
Harry drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he hummed to the music. He smiled as he remembered Ron yelling at him for denting the front of the car three years ago. It was a good car. He had shared it with Ron for six years. As well as the apartment he still lived in. He had to admit, it felt rather empty after his friend had moved out but he was moving out soon as well. He had found a beautiful house and was moving in soon. Not to mention a beautiful wife.  
  
"Careful Harry! Honestly! You are such a reckless driver!" Ginny exclaimed as they swerved to miss a feral cat. Harry just laughed.  
  
"You're brother uses the word 'fearless.'"  
  
"Don't tell me about Ron! He's worse than you!" She said.  
  
"I haven't seen Hermione and Ron for a whole month." He said, not taking his eyes off the road.  
  
"How big was Hermione last time?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Dunno . But Ron said she looked like a Hippo on Steroids."  
  
"Oh? And what did you say to Ron about me?" Ginny said, holding her huge belly. Harry smiled.  
  
"Nothing." He said as they pulled into the driveway of the burrow.  
  
"You can never tell with you husbands." Ginny said slyly. She and Harry got out of the old red ford and walked towards the house.  
  
"Ron, that'll be Ginny and Harry. They said they'll be late." Hermione said, springing up from her chair. Ron race to the door and pulled Harry in, ignoring his mother who was ordering him to get some drinks. Ron dumped Harry into a chair and sat down on the couch beside Hermione.  
  
"Well?" Harry asked, leaning forward.  
  
"You can see him when he's awake." Ron said, putting an arm around Hermione. Mrs Weasley bustled in the room and sat down next to Ginny.  
  
"Have you checked yet?" She asked excitedly.  
  
"Yes." Ginny blushed and looked at Harry.  
  
"It's a girl." Harry said proudly. Ron laughed.  
  
"OH! Grandson and a Grand daughter!" She said, fanning her face. "And let's not forget Percy's twin boys." A loud cry erupted from upstairs.  
  
"Sit down Ron, I'll get him." Hermione stood up and was followed by Ginny and Mrs Weasley.  
  
"Harry, your nose is looking a lot better. Not so crooked, if I may." Toby POTTER sauntered into the room with Fred and George. Harry smiled. After graduating from Hogwarts, Toby had changed his name to Potter. After all, James Potter had treated him like a son, and Harry treated him as a brother.  
  
"Yeah, it still hurts though." Harry rubbed his nose, smiling as Ron shifted guiltily in his chair.  
  
"Don't worry Harry. It's a souvenir." Fred chuckled.  
  
"A souvenir of the day you asked for Ginny's hand in marriage." George slapped Harry on the back, laughing his head off. Harry grinned, remembering that happy, yet, painful day.  
  
-MEMORIES-  
  
Harry pulled nervously at the collar of his sweater. Ginny squeezed his hand encouragingly and nodded towards the Weasley family. Mr and Mrs Weasley sat on the sofa, Ron stood behind them and Fred and George shared the coffee table. Percy and his wife stood quietly in the doorway while Bill and Charlie each brought a chair from the dining room. They all stared up at Ginny and Harry, wondering what the important news was.  
  
"I-I want to ." Harry blushed. Ginny, sensing that Harry wasn't up to it, took over.  
  
"We've talked it over for a long time."  
  
"Andwewannagetmarry." Harry finished quickly. Bill, Charlie, Percy, the twins and Mr Weasley had no reaction. Mrs Weasley fainted and Ron came up to Harry and punched him squarely on the face. Harry fainted.  
  
The next thing he knew, water was being splashed on his face and his nose was bleeding. Fred and George pulled him up to his feet. Mrs Weasley fussed over Harry, yelling at her youngest son for making the whole situation so awkward. After a few minutes, Mr Weasley came up to Harry and shook his hand, saying that he could marry Ginny. Ginny squealed with happiness and to Harry's embarrassment, kissed him right in front of Ron. Apart from the awkward silences with he and Ron, the day was the happiest of his life.  
  
-BACK TO THE PRESENT-  
  
Harry's reflections were interrupted by the happy squeals of a baby. He shoot out of his chair and ran to the little blue bundle in Hermione's arms. A little baby boy with bright blue eyes and red hair gurgled happily, sucking on his fat fingers. Harry lifted him slowly from Hermione's hands, as if afraid to hurt the tiny child. He rocked him in his arms and tickled his chin, grinning broadly.  
  
"His name is Andy." Ron said, throwing out his chest in a proud manner.  
  
"He likes him more than you." Hermione laughed as Harry danced the baby around the room. Ron wrapped his arm around her shoulders.  
  
"I wouldn't say that." Ron smiled down at Hermione, remembering.  
  
-MEMORIES-  
  
"Here it is." Ron opened the door of the little apartment that was their home. Hermione was about to walk in when Ron grabbed her round the waist and hauled her over his left shoulder.  
  
"RON! PUT ME DOWN!" She yelled, flailing her arms. "What on earth are you doing?!"  
  
"Carrying you over the threshold." Ron answered simply.  
  
"That's not the right way!" Hermione said, blowing her veil out of her face.  
  
"I can't do it the other way."  
  
"Put me down you primitive beast! THIS IS UNDIGNIFIED!" Hermione commanded. Ron plonked her onto the bed and sat down next to her. She sighed.  
  
"It was meant to be romantic, Ronald. We just had our wedding." Ron ignored her and pulled back her veil. Hermione blushed, remembering that she was on her honeymoon.  
  
"I can be Romantic when I want to be." Ron edged closer to his wife.  
  
"Oh really?" Hermione folded her arms. Ron grinned mischievously.  
  
"Really." With that, he seized her.  
  
-BACK TO THE PRESENT-  
  
"Ron?" Hermione asked, now holding the baby. Ginny giggled as Harry cooed over Hermione's shoulder.  
  
"Uncle Harry. I like that." Harry beamed. He sauntered over to Ginny and placed his hand over her womb. He felt a tiny kick and smiled.  
  
"Of course, I'd like 'Daddy' even better." Harry said. Toby watched with interest. He would soon be an uncle too.  
  
"When is she due?" Toby asked his sister in law.  
  
"In a week." Ginny clicked her tongue in an annoyed manner and removed Harry's hand, which was still placed on her belly. Ron went red around the ears but said nothing. Toby sipped his wine thought fully. There he was, at the Weasley family reunion. It was hard to believe that just ten years ago, he had tried to murder Harry. He gave a Harry a smile. Harry smiled back.  
  
-MEMORIES (HARRY'S)-  
  
"Wha-?" Harry looked around the hospital wing, squinting. Hermione clutched Ron's hand and then flung herself on Harry, tears streaming down her cheeks. Harry blushed slightly and patted her pack awkwardly. Hermione kissed his cheek and pulled away.  
  
"I'm so sorry." She whispered, holding her best friend's hand. He smiled weakly.  
  
"It wasn't your fault." He said, standing up. She stood up and wiped her tears away. Ron held out his hand. Harry shook it, still feeling rather awkward. Ron smiled.  
  
"C'mere you!" Ron pulled Harry in and hugged him, so happy that he was alive that he nearly squeezed the life out of him. Harry pulled away and held out his hand.  
  
"I think I'll need those." Ron laughed and gave Harry his round rimmed glasses that he had been holding for three days. Harry put them on and suddenly the world was once again clear. Dumbledore smiled and gave Harry a knowing wink. Avolorm was in the room too, with Professor Snape talking to him.  
  
"We already explained everything." Hermione said.  
  
"Welcome back." Ron smiled and slung his arm over Hermione's shoulders. Harry couldn't help wondering what had happened between the two of them in the time he was- Harry gasped.  
  
"I-I was dead ..." Harry shivered, realising that he wasn't just asleep.  
  
"You should thank two people." Ron grinned. Harry raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Me and Professor Snape." Malfoy entered the room. Harry noticed with shock that he had changed. His cold grey eyes were now light blue. He wore a smile, not a smirk. He seemed happy. He strode over to Harry and patted him on the back.  
  
"Come on. We have a lot to explain." Hermione reached for Harry's hand and slid her other one into Ron's.  
  
"And you have a lot to explain." Snape said coldly, dragging Avolorm down towards the dungeons.  
  
Harry never really understood why Snape had gone to so much trouble to revive Harry. After a while, he guessed it must have been because his father had once saved Snape and now, more than sixteen years later, Snape had paid James Potter back. By saving his son's life.  
  
-BACK TO THE PRESENT-  
  
"Dinner every body!" Mrs Weasley called from the dining room.  
  
Hermione laughed as Ron tried to feed Andy some carrots.  
  
"Ronald, He can't eat that yet!" She pushed up from the table and took the baby out of her husband's arms.  
  
"He need's Mummy's food." She walked towards the lounge room, with Ron stumbling after her.  
  
"There's no need to watch Ron!" George yelled from the table. His twin laughed.  
  
"You would have seen THAT enough already!"  
  
"FRED!" Mrs Weasley gave her sons a stern look. Although they were twenty- seven, they still cringed like little boys caught making trouble.  
  
Once in the lounge room, away from the rest of the family, Hermione lifted up her shirt and feed the baby. Ron turned away, feeling embarrassed. After a few minutes, Hermione patted the child's back, laughing when he burped. She sniffed Andy warily.  
  
"He needs a change Ron." She said, holding him out to the father.  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"I did one job. It's your turn to do the next." Hermione said firmly.  
  
"How come you get the easy one?" Ron grumbled.  
  
"If it's so easy, how come you can't do it?" She teased.  
  
"Very funny." Ron took his son in his arms and stared at Hermione.  
  
-MEMORIES-  
  
"I'm so sorry." Hermione said, tugging at her hair in a guilty manner. Ron said nothing. It was two a.m. and the Common Room was empty. She sat down on one of the empty red sofas and held her head in her hands. Ron sighed as her shoulders started to shake. He got up and sat down next to her.  
  
"Mione." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to ignore the clicking of the clock which was breaking his eardrums. He patted her back awkwardly.  
  
"It's all my fault. Don't you understand? Harry's dead!" She looked up at Ron, the tears streaming down her cheeks. Ron put his arm around her and handed her a tissue. She wiped her eyes and lay back, her head resting on his chest. Ron wondered if she could hear his heart pounding. He could hardly breathe. What happened next still made his heart race ten years later. Hermione put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. That was how it all began. They had declared their love for one another with out the use of words. Just a single kiss had bonded them for life.  
  
-BACK TO THE PRESENT-  
  
"Ronald?" Hermione asked, she raised an eyebrow. He blushed now aware of the baby screaming his lungs out. Hermione smiled wryly, stood up and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"I'll put Andy down for a rest." She picked up the baby and then the door flew open.  
  
"QUICK! GINNY'S IN LABOUR!" Fred stood in the doorway, breathless.  
  
The Weasley family sat nervously in the waiting room. Harry paced the floor, banging his head. Ron sat mortified on a chair with Hermione patting his arm reassuringly. They could hear Ginny screaming a few rooms away. When the screams became louder, Ron could stand it no longer and bashed Harry squarely on the face. Harry staggered back a few steps, holding his nose.  
  
"My ode bess fwend is trying to gill me!" Harry grabbed a tissue and held his nose. He soon forgot about his bleeding nose as a nurse walked past him.  
  
"My wife is id laboua!" He yelled, running towards her.  
  
"I haf to be wif her!" She raised and eyebrow but allowed him in the operating room.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Harry stood by Ginny's bed, feeling sick. Her hair was damp with sweat and she was squeezing his hand so hard that he was sure his blood circulation had been cut off.  
  
"I HATE YOU, YOU BARSTARD!!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" She yelled, wincing. Harry looked at the Doctor. He laughed and gave Harry a wink.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Ginny had a newborn baby suckling quietly at her breast. Harry sat by her bed, smiling. She smiled and gave Harry a kiss. He stroked his daughter's fine black hair. The baby opened her electric blue eyes and stared at her father wistfully.  
  
"Her name is Jennifer." Ginny said, stroking her hair lovingly.  
  
Harry sat back in his chair, contented. His life was truly tied together with love. Love for his wife and child, love for his best friends and just ten years ago, he had proved, that there was in fact, such a thing as brotherly-love. What more could her ask for? 


End file.
